The Boston Bruins have rejoined the Stanley Cup Playoffs following a one-year absence. The team was able to acquire a wild-card berth, which meant they would face the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs. The Bruins would lose in six games to the Sabres in the first round.
Despite the fact that the club returned to the playoffs following a 45-27-10 regular season, it remained behind the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Buffalo Sabres in the division. The Bruins must make some roster changes if they are to improve, move up in the division standings, and go further in the playoffs.
The Bruins have various players with whom they can part ways to better themselves and prepare for the future. Meanwhile, the Bruins are short on cap space. They only have $16. 4 million in cap space going into this offseason, and they would most likely want to re-sign Andrew Peeke. With limited cap space and numerous demands to satisfy, the team will have to make some changes, and these are the three players who may be traded from the Bruins.
The Bruins need to move. Joonas Korpisalo
Joonas Korpisalo was the Bruins’ backup goalie this season. After being drafted in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft, he has bounced around the league. After debuting in the NHL in the 2015-16 season, he stayed with the club until the 2022-23 season, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. After his contract expired, he agreed to a five-year agreement with the Ottawa Senators beginning with the 2023-24 season. Still, his tenure in Ottawa was brief, since he was traded to the Boston Bruins in the deal that brought Linus Ullmark to Ottawa.
Korpisalo is Jeremy Swayman’s reserve netminder, but it is past time for the goaltender to go. He has two years remaining on his contract, with a $3 million annual average value (AAV). In his first season with Boston, he went 11-10-3 with a 2. 90 goals-agaisnt average and a. 893 save percentage. This year, he was 14-9-6 with a 3. 15 goals-against average and a. 894 save percentage.
However, he has fallen behind the league average. Korpisalo had a -5. 93 GSAA in his first season, which is a comparative statistic comparing a netminder to the league average. A negative number indicates that he is below league average, whereas a positive number indicates that the net minder is above average. He slipped to a -7. 18 this past season. With Michael DiPietro poised to make the switch to the NHL, it is time to change the management behind Swayman.
Michael Eyssimont is no longer favored.
The Bruins have an excess of bottom-six forwards, including James Hagens and Frasen Minten, who are on entry-level deals. The squad need a high-scoring forward, and Robert Thomas may be one of their options. To achieve this, the Bruins will have to free up cap space and clear roster spots. One alternative would be to relocate Michael Eyssimont. While moving Eyssimont clears only $1. 45 million in cap space, he has only one year remaining on his deal and was frequently a healthy scratch this season.
Henri Jokiharju has resigned.
Eyssimont appeared in just 56 games this season, averaging 10:54 in ice time. He also had eight goals and ten assists this past season. Meanwhile, he only participated in two postseason games, Games 5 and 6, and did not score any points. While the Bruins appreciate Eyssimont’s physical style, it is apparent that he is being sidelined in favor of younger players.
The Boston Bruins are seeking for a top-four right-shot defenseman. The squad has a few possibilities, including Mason Lohrei, Andrew Peeke, and Henri Jokiarju. The club is expected to seek for a new top-four right-shot defenseman, such as Darren Raddysh, a potential unrestricted free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team is unlikely to resign Peeke to make the deal possible, but may trade Lohrei and Jokiarju.
The preferable choice here is Jokiharju. The two are priced similarly, with Johikarju earning $3 million and Lohrei $3. 2 million. Meanwhile, Lohrei has only one year remaining on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent, and he is younger with greater potential for growth. Johikarju’s $3 million asking price is excessive for a player who was a regular scratch near the conclusion of the season.
The blueliner only appeared in 41 games this season, scoring two goals and 13 assists. He got off to a good start, scoring six points in his first two months of action, but then got injured and missed the whole of December. Jokiharju was not the same after returning. He was not very excellent on the offensive side of the ice, and his defense was sluggish and ineffective. This resulted in less playing time. In 17 of the 25 games after the Olympic break, he was scratched. Given the Bruins’ need to upgrade at his position, and Jokiharju’s obvious lack of the answer, the team must move on.
